Manufacturing news - July 2025

Solar Atmospheres to open new facility in Berlin, Connecticut

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RESPECTIVE COMPANIES

Solar Atmospheres will be opening its seventh U.S. heat treat operation in an existing industrial facility in Berlin, Connecticut. The 28,000ft2 facility, in the Spruce Brook Industrial Park, will further expand Solar Atmospheres’ footprint and capabilities in the Northeast region.

“We’re excited to establish a new presence in Connecticut,” says Jamie Jones, president of Solar Atmospheres of Eastern PA and Connecticut. “This strategic location allows us to better serve our growing customer base and continue supporting the aerospace, medical, and commercial manufacturing markets throughout New England.”

This expansion reinforces Solar Atmospheres’ commitment to providing innovative, high-quality vacuum heat treating solutions across the country while maintaining the personalized service and reliability that has made the company a trusted partner for decades.

The facility is slated for completion in 2026. https://www.solaratm.com

Appointments, promotions, new hires

Transor Filter USA appointed Johan Svensson as president. Svensson, who was managing director of the European office in Alvesta, Sweden, will oversee all North American operations in the suburban Chicago facility. He’ll also coordinate sales and service activities with the directors of Transor’s offices in Brazil, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. https://transorfilter.com

Cleaning Technologies Group LLC (CTG) promoted Greg Allen to president of Cortex Engineered Solutions, a division of CTG. Cortex focuses on the innovation, design, manufacture, installation, and service of specialty equipment outside of the parts cleaning industry. Allen most recently served as VP of operations for the Cortex Division. In his new role he’ll be responsible for all aspects of Cortex’s operations and serve as the primary point of contact with customers. https://www.ctgclean.com

Star SU, the marketing, sales, and service affiliate of Star Cutter Co., hired Scott Lukomski as sales director for cutting tools. Lukomski will report to Star SU President Andreas Blind and lead the Star SU Sales team across all cutting tool applications. He joins Star Cutter from his most recent position as sales and marketing director at Marposs Corp. He’s also held similar positions at Perception/ISRA Vision and Jenoptik Automotive. https://www.star-su.com

Lyndex-Nikken, manufacturer and provider of high-performance machine tool accessories and machine tending solutions, expands its sales team by welcoming six seasoned professionals.

With nearly 20 years of manufacturing sales experience, Michael Gregory, regional sales manager for Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, brings a strong background in distribution, workholding, cutting tools, and MRO.

Bill Schroeder, regional sales representative for Wisconsin, has more than 30 years of experience in CNC machining and sales along with deep industry knowledge and a strong track record of driving productivity and profitability.

Regional Sales Representative for Michigan, Don Doyle, offers 23 years of machining expertise. His background includes programming, setup, and operation, providing a strong foundation for his specialization in indexable tooling and turnkey solutions during the past 16 years.

Jimmy Angelo, regional sales representative for Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, brings more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing, specializing in high-precision products and strategic tooling solutions.

Stan Pearson, regional sales representative for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, brings extensive hands-on experience in CNC machining, programming, and tooling solutions.

With more than 30 years of experience in the machine tool industry, Tom O’Toole, regional sales representative for North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington D.C., has a strong background in capital equipment and cutting tools, working closely with distributors and end users to optimize manufacturing processes across a wide range of machinery and industries. https://www.lyndexnikken.com